REFLECT
The Our Father is perhaps the best-known prayer of the Christian faith. We say it many times throughout the course of our lives. It is the prayer that Jesus taught the Apostles and so it holds a privileged place in the life of the Church. Tertullian, an early Church Father, said that the Lord’s Prayer “is a summary of the whole of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” The Gospels recount for us the numerous occasions that Jesus went off to pray, escaping the crowds and finding a quiet place to converse with his Father. The disciples knew that Jesus was a man of prayer, or they would not have asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The Lord’s prayer contains the basics of the Christian life: praise and wonder at the greatness and holiness of our God; seeking that God’s will, not our own be done each day; asking for what we truly need, not what we think is best; seeking grace to protect us from sin and evil; and recognizing the power of God’s mercy to forgive our sins and help us to forgive others. These are words given to us by our Savior are meant to open our hearts to the new life of the Spirit and lead us along the way of salvation. Find time each day, like Jesus, to be quiet, away from the hectic pace of life. Don’t this prayer become rote but say these words of Jesus reverently. They have the power to bring healing, restoration, new life and salvation to all who believe.
PRAY
How blessed we are, O God, to be your children, created in your own image and likeness, surrounded by your unconditional love, and redeemed through the saving sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ on the Cross. Teach us to pray like Jesus. May we never forget to praise your holy and glorious name. Let our hearts seek only your will to be accomplished in our lives. Forgive our sins and lead us from all temptation. Help us to forgive others and lead us to eternal life in your Kingdom.
ACT
Take 10 minutes today to spend with the Lord’s Prayer, not only praying that prayer but reflecting on each line so that it becomes more than words, but a living prayer from your heart to God’s.